As we slowly but surely begin to reopen the world, it is time to take a look into the guidelines which we have been asked to follow. There are some concerns across the world that many of these guidelines are there to control us or some other such nonsense, but the reality is that for now at least, we should follow them until the virus slows further. Many in the medical community such as Matthew Boente MD have been vocal about the need to follow the guidelines when we are out and about, and here is exactly why we should continue it for just a little bit longer.
What is the current situation?
The guidelines have often changed throughout this virus’s lifetime and have done so in accordance with the severity of the issue. In the past, guidelines have been strict, with a mandated national lockdown taking place where people couldn’t mix. This was in place because of the sheer number of people in hospitals seeking treatment for this virus and because of the number of people who were dying from the condition.
Currently, the situation isn’t as bad, but it’s close to being comparable. With the new Omnicron variant of Covid-19 quickly becoming the main variant in many countries, more and more people are infected with the virus due to how incredibly contagious it is. This has led to more people in hospitals; however, currently, the number of deaths related to this new virus has been relatively low.
It’s important to note that this data is still in its early stages, and it’s not correct to assume that Omnicron isn’t as dangerous as other previous variants, such as Delta. However, as we try and figure out just how damaging the virus is on a physical and biological level, It’s still taking its toll in a different way.
With more and more people getting the virus, it means that more people are currently isolating and unable to work. This means that many industries are being brought to their knees as they don’t have the number of staff to operate effectively. The worst-hit is the NHS within the UK, as a large proportion of nurses and doctors are unable to care for patients due to contracting the virus. This can be really dangerous, as it can increase wait times for those seeking medical services. This is a situation that is happening worldwide. In an attempt to ensure that there is a workforce able to run national healthcare, more prospective nurses are being encouraged to study and earn a degree. One of the fastest ways to become a nurse is to take an accelerated program, using your existing bachelor’s degree in another subject to kickstart your second career. As you enter nursing, though, accelerated programs can be there to support you even more. If you want to do more with your nursing career, you can enroll in accelerated RN to NP programs and become a nurse practitioner, which widens your knowledge, experience, and job opportunities. This will go on to benefit the public who require healthcare services. Another way to keep the healthcare sector working during this time is to rely on telemedicine, where doctors can hold virtual appointments over a video call while they’re isolating.
Another industry hit by the increase in contaminations is the teaching sector, with older, retired teachers being asked back to the classroom to cover for those who are self-isolating.
What Are The New Guidelines?
To help stop the spread of this new vareint, new guidelines have been put in place over the winter to help protect the population and those most vulnerable. The most noticeable and most impactful is that masks are once again a requirement within all indoor areas unless you’re seated within a pub or restaurant.
This means that if you’re browsing a shop, working out at the gym, or at the cinema watching a film, you need to wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose.
Masks are a requirement because they can stop people from passing on and getting Covid. The fabric that covers your nose and mouth acts as a barrier against particles that might be carrying the airborne virus. Instead of passing through the extremely thin mesh, Covid particles are instead trapped on your mask.
In the past, a lot of people have been using reusable fabric masks due to their comfort and economical price. However, in recent weeks it’s been identified that the best masks to use are standard surgical masks that are disposable. Although not yet a requirement in the UK, these marks are the best to get if you need to restock.
In addition to the need to wear masks, guidelines have also stated that you should be working from home if your role allows it. This has been put in place to ensure that there is less mixing of people. With working from home, you’re no longer being put in direct contact with co-workers, meaning that there’s no risk of passing the virus from person to person. Working from home also eliminates the need to commute, which for many people in major cities might involve them sharing a space with hundreds of different people daily.
Working from home should be something that many people are used to these days, as it’s something that has risen in popularity over the last few years and has become normalized
Another guideline that the government has put in place is frequent washing your hands and ensuring that your skin is clean. This has led to many establishments putting hand sanitizer by their front doors to ensure that people keep their hands clean before entering.
This is encouraged so much because the virus can live on surfaces such as skin for days unless it is washed off and killed. If left completely on unbroken skin, then the virus cannot infect you that way. However, if it’s on your hands, then it might be able to enter your body through you rubbing your eyes, eating food, or scratching a scab.
Furthermore, if Covid-19 is lingering on your skin, you can easily rub it onto other surfaces, making it a lot more contagious as a result.
To help stop the spread of the virus, be sure to use these hand sanitization stations and wash your hands regularly.
The final guideline that people need to know about is that to enter many larger events, such as concerts and sporting fixtures, you first need to present proof of vaccination or proof of a negative Covid test to be allowed in.
This has been implemented to help ensure that people who are attending these larger events are safe. It’s also been put in place to make sure that these vents can actually go ahead and that there’s no need to cancel these important recreational activities.
Some people may not like this measure, as it feels very totalitarian to them and also adds an extra step to the event going process; however, it’s serving as a good way to encourage the population to get vaccinated.
With the guidelines now fully explained, as well as the reasoning behind them, here are a few benefits and reasons why it’s so essential that these guidelines are followed.
Winter is Coming
We know that there is no vaccine that is coming any time soon and given that the virus has begun to slow it would make sense for us to be a little more relaxed. We do this however, at our peril, because in so many areas of the world, winter is on its way and that is a notoriously difficult time for the vulnerable in our communities. We see influenza deaths shoot up during the winter and now with the added threat of Covid-19, the vulnerable are even more at risk.
Maintaining Low Figures
Nobody wanted to go into lockdown but it seemed to be a necessary step in slowing down the virus. We have managed to reopen a great amount of our communities but this is based on the fact that everyone is able to follow the guidelines. If we fail to do so then the cases could very well shoot up again and that could then force us backwards not forwards. We are not back to normal of course, few of us in fact can actually remember what that is, but this is the best we are going to get right now, and that is yet another reason to follow the guidelines.
They Work
At the start of the pandemic, there was validity in being skeptical about the effectiveness of these lockdown measures, as there was no proof that these would work. However, now that the pandemic has raged for years and there have been multiple waves of restrictions, we now have the data proving that implementing guidelines work and help protect us.
Without fail, every time new guidelines are introduced, the case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths decrease. This data proves that lockdowns, restrictions, and guidelines help combat Covid-19.
Helping Others
There are many in our society who do want to go out but who are scared of doing so or who are vulnerable so prefer not to. If however they could be guaranteed that everyone was following guidelines, I would say that they’d be much more keen on heading out, which of course is greatly going to benefit their mental and their physical health. We are supposed to be in this together and that is why following guidelines is the smartest way to go about it.
Science Backs it Up
Whilst the theme of masks is a tough nut to crack, and the jury is still out on how much it helps, there is absolutely no denying what social distancing means for people. We have seen evidence time and time again of the great benefit which social distancing can have with regards to the virus and that is why it is something which we should all be following.
These guidelines are not hard to stick to, they are simple and they help, let’s all try to follow.
What Else Can Be Done?
As well as following these guidelines that have been ushered in by the government, there are also additional things that the population can do to help stop the virus from spreading around the country.
One of the most impactful things that you can do – potentially even more useful than these guidelines – is to ensure that you’ve gotten the vaccination. The many Covid vaccines available to the public help make it harder for you to be infected by the virus, as it boosts your immune system and makes it better equipped to fight off the infection. The vaccination will also help improve your resistance to the virus, and as a result, will make you less ill if you are infected.
With these two benefits together, vaccines play a huge part in ensuring that this virus doesn’t linger any longer than it needs to.
When getting vaccinated, it’s important to ensure that you’re up-to-date and that you take the full course of vaccinations. Most people need at least two shots initially, taken at least a month apart from each other, and then for full coverage, an induvial will need a booster jab to ensure that the vaccine’s effectiveness is maintained for a long period.
These booster vaccinations appear to be very useful, as they ensure that the vaccine’s effectiveness does not reduce and drop off over time.
As well as this, another thing that can be done to help reduce the risk of Covid is to take care when meeting people. At the time of writing, it’s still permitted to see other households in indoor settings such as pubs and restaurants, provided that you enter with a mask and are seated when doing so. However, this isn’t the safest way of seeing others during this time.
As these entertainment venues are enclosed and have multiple people entering them throughout the day, they are high-risk areas. Instead, it’s best to meet friends in outdoor settings, such as on walks, or during recreational activities such as running and other sports. This is because being out in the open allows for any potential Covid particles to dissipate in the air and not circulate as they would in an enclosed area.
If you have to meet others indoors, such as for meetings, then it’s a good idea to ensure that you open windows as this allows for a breeze to enter the room, which can help stop Covid from circulating around the room.
